Universal Studios Hollywood New Fast and the Furious Roller Coaster – Construction Moving FAST

Universal Studios Hollywood is building a brand new Fast & Furious rollercoaster. Fast & Furious continues to be a big box-office success for Universal so expanding on more attractions on this intellectual property is a no brainer.

Universal Studios Hollywood does not have any serious rollercoasters unlike their counterpart Universal Orlando which has plenty of thrill options. This is often a fact that is bemoaned by teenagers and thrill seekers alike once they realize there is no major rollercoasters at Universal Studios Hollywood. Well, aside from The Mummy which is one of my best ranked Universal Studios Hollywood rides. 

This would be the first major rollercoaster at Universal Studios Hollywood which makes the news of this upcoming Fast & Furious rollercoaster even more exciting. I visit Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando frequently and Universal continues to impress me with how fast they move on their new projects like the highly anticipated Epic Universe. Let's get into everything we know about this new attraction including where this new coaster is going consider the limited space at Universal. Keep scrolling for the NEWEST construction updates!

Where is the Fast & Furious Rollercoaster Going?

The Fast & Furious roller coaster is located in the middle of Universal Studios Hollywood in the old Universal's Animal Actors and Special Effects Shows on the Upper Lot. This show closed in January 2023 to begin work on a “exciting, new attraction” according to Universal at the time.

Since the entrance is located on the Upper Lot, this officially makes it an “Upper Lot” attraction. Universal Studios Hollywood is getting extremely creative with the limited space they have by utilizing the literal air above the escalators for part of the coaster.

In the photo shared above by Universal, you can see the view of the new rollercoaster at night and how will loop over the existing escalators.

The attraction entrance will be located on the upper lot of Universal. A portion of the track will actually loop OVER the escalators that take guests to and from the upper and lower lots. Guests will queue in a large, red brick, garage-style building before boarding.

The Fast and Furious rollercoaster construction is flying along, the track is already being built on both sides of the escalator! The above photo was taken end of November in 2024.

If we look at our last photo update, from August 2024, you can see just how fast this construction is going. I expect we will see this open far sooner than the projected date.

When you ride the escalator at Universal Studios Hollywood from the Upper Lot to the Lower Lot, you can see the active construction in progress.

More construction progress shows how this new ride will take advantage of the empty space on the hill next to the escalators. This is such a creative move by Universal as they are really limited with available space. This new Fast & Furious rollercoaster will look amazing and really add to the visual ‘wow' factor of this area of the park.

Fast & Furious Rollercoaster Coming to Universal Studios Hollywood

The new Fast & Furious rollercoaster will “bring innovative and technological achievements never previously employed” to the theme park. The attraction will feature a new ride system to immerse guests in the universe of of the films.

Universal has confirmed that this coaster features “groundbreaking 360-degree rotation of the individual ride vehicles” all with the goal of creating the same sensation of drafting cars as “guests spin in motion at furiously fast speeds.” Since the concept of “drifting” is a big part of the Fast & Furious franchise, this is a perfect immersive approach to this coaster. This might make it similar to the style technology of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

The ride vehicles will be modeled after authentic cars featured in the films which will “catapult” along an aerial track that winds its way over parts of Universal Studios Hollywood.

Many of the initial confirmed details came from the Universal & You website which is the community outreach website between the theme park and the LA community. Universal provides this website as a way to foster positive relationships with the city that they occupy. Similar to Disneyland's close relationship with Anaheim, Universal also faces constraints with being located in the middle of a city. Universal has since confirmed many of these details and more for their theme park audiences.

Universal has also announced that the name of this new coaster will be called Fast & Furious Hollywood Drift which confirms many of the rumors surrounding the name of this attraction.

When Will the Fast & Furious Roller Coaster Open?

Universal has shared that Fast & Furious Hollywood Drift will open in 2026. No official opening date has been announced outside of that.

Considering how fast Universal works on their construction projects, look at Epic Universe as one example, I don't anticipate a long wait to experience this new roller coaster. I could see it opening as early as spring 2026.

What About the Fast & Furious Scene on the Studio Tour?

The Studio Tour includes a Fast & Furious scene so it will be interesting to see if Universal Studios Hollywood will replace that portion of the Tram Tour or keep it in. Considering the popularity of Fast & Furious, it would make sense to keep it in.

Plan Your Universal Studios Hollywood Vacation Today!

For the best resource and helpful information for planning your Universal trip, make sure to subscribe to our FREE Deals newsletter​. We’ll provide you with helpful planning information, exclusive Disney deals, and access to the lowest-priced theme park tickets anywhere.

You can find more information on planning your vacation in our guides:

• Universal Studios Hollywood Express Pass- BEST Tips
• Universal Studios Hollywood Ride Ranking